Charles cheered by our cheeses
Prince celebrates rural life and visits hospice
The taste of top class cheeses in the heart of some of Yorkshire’s finest countryside left an impression on the Royal Family’s most passionate advocate of rural life during a wide-ranging tour of the region.
The Prince of Wales tasted a range of cheeses made by small producers when he paid a visit to a renovated farmstead in Settle.
THE LUXURIOUS taste of top class cheeses in the heart of some of Yorkshire’s finest countryside left an impression on the Royal Family’s most passionate advocate of rural life during a wideranging tour of the region.
The Prince of Wales tasted a range of cheeses made by small producers across the UK when he paid a visit yesterday to The Courtyard, a renovated farmstead in Settle in the Yorkshire Dales, which is now home to a series of small businesses.
It was Andy and Kathy Swinscoe, the owners of the The Courtyard Dairy, who persuaded the Prince to taste their cheeses.
Mr Swinscoe told Charles how they specialised in cheese made by small family farms, especially unpasteurised varieties from rare breeds.
After trying a piece he was offered, the Royal visitor said: “This is seriously good.”
And once he had tasted a number of Mr Swinscoe’s cheeses, he declared: “God, it’s all so irresistible.”
The Prince toured every business at The Courtyard including Dalesbred, the cabinet makers, The Lime Gallery and Buon Vino, which specialises in wines made using natural methods, organic farming and biodynamic production.
Charles took a close interest in the cakes in The Brasserie as the chefs told him how all were made on the premises with local ingredients.
The Courtyard was renovated in 2012 by Simon and Sally Robinson and Mark Hancock.
Mr Robinson said the opening of the complex created 37 new jobs within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the biggest single creator of jobs in the park at the time.
He said: “I think it’s been a fabulous day today.
“He was so interested in everything and the story of developing the barn.
“The most impressive part was the interest he showed in every single business.”
He added: “He does like his cheese.”
Mr Robinson, who also runs the Dalesbred cabinet-making business at the site, said the Prince was particularly interested in the problem of finding and training skilled craftsmen.
As Charles was leaving, he was approached by young farmer Craig Booth, who said he had taken time out from lambing to thank the Royal visitor for the help he received from the Prince’s Trust to set up his quad bike-based snow ploughing and gritting business.
He shook Charles’s hand and said he just wanted to thank him personally before the pair chatted about lambing in the wintry weather.
Charles was later at The Prince of Wales Hospice in Pontefract to meet patients, staff, and volunteers. He became the hospice’s patron in 1987 and its president in 2000.
Susan Buczinski, a day patient, has incurable cancer and was referred to the hospice in January.
She said: “It’s been a really good day. It was exciting to meet the Prince and he seems really interested about the hospice and the different activities and therapies.
“The staff here are marvellous, absolutely wonderful, I can’t stress that enough.”
I think it’s been a fabulous day today. Simon Robinson, of The Courtyard in Settle, North Yorkshire